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Angola council approves pay increases for police, firefighters and part‑time city workers
Summary
The Angola Common Council approved Ordinance 17-81-2025 to raise city employee pay for 2026: a 4% across‑the‑board increase with larger raises for first‑class firefighters and part‑time staff and a $1 hourly bump for part‑time employees.
The Angola Common Council on July 7 approved Ordinance 17-81-2025, which sets compensation for appointed officers, deputies and other police and fire employees for 2026 and raises hourly pay for part‑time city employees.
Mayor Bridal presented the ordinance as his salary recommendation for the coming budget year and moved to approve. The measure passed by roll call vote.
The ordinance sets a 4% across‑the‑board wage increase. Exceptions include a 6% increase applied to first‑class firefighters, a 14% increase for part‑time firefighters, and an increase in the city’s part‑time base rate from $21 to $22 an hour. Bridal said the city “has lost our competitive advantage on our payroll, particularly with our first responders,” and cited a desire to be above neighboring jurisdictions on pay and some longevity/shift differentials. He framed the raise as both a recruitment and retention step.
Council members pressed staff about budget sustainability and pension effects. Bridal and other staff flagged concern about the impact of recent state legislation (referred to in the meeting as Senate Enrolled Act 1) and said they were taking a “leap of faith” that the increase can be accommodated. The ordinance also eliminates the lieutenant classification in the fire department (unused in recent staffing) and adds a single training officer position responsible for internal department training and a high‑school training program; staff said the net personnel change will add both costs for pay and training responsibilities.
Fire department leaders said the larger increase for first‑class firefighters would modestly improve pension calculations that are tied to that pay grade but would not resolve pension‑parity issues. The fire chief said the change is aimed principally at retention.
Vote: Council members Coffey, Olson, Sharkey, Dow and McNervey voted yes.
The council and staff said further budget details and longer‑term sustainability will be discussed during the formal 2026 budget process.
